Tractor.



C. W. LEFP1.135.x

TRACTCR.

APPLICATION FILED AP11.24, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

3 SH ETS-*SHEET 1,

C. W. LOEFFLER,

TRACTOR.

APPLXGATION PILED APR. 2. 1914. L 31,394, Patented Mar.9,1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. W. LOBFFLER.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION rILBD 11.24, 1914.

1,131,394, Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

4 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENT FFE.

EL it {nown that i, Qin-news 61. Lolix@- nLnn. citizen of, Lnited States, :ma a. resiiien of Solon tmvnsnip, in the county t of Lenlanau and State of liliehignn, have invented new and improved Tractor, of which the, following is n ull, clear, and eX- niet description.

My invention relates to tractors, 'pnrticular p 'iose being to prov' toi? the nodi-f or im); be. maintainoii s i l v while the wheels ong; n the gronnfl at di my more le a tranei that iifnrent levels.

More particulorly stted., il soci: to im une a tractor adrnitiib of general use, but o special service. in connection with plowing the lund the reni? Wheels of the tractonnbeing carried, each hy ziframn, the two frames being pivotally ion, upon the liody portion, no that o. rear wheels may nnss along in @he ln vol if; adapt the aldea and oth i n'i'ti with for aiand "n :uitlito virions:

of the Senio.

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503%?. iBWNSHE", LEELANAU CGUNTL", .YHCHIGA.N.

ai Letters Fatemi jzind Mar. 9, 1915.

will.

Sera), No. S34-,lll

creme indicate corresponding parte, and in whichW Figure l. is a. plan View of the tractor; Fig. 2 .is :i rear elevation of the Same; Fig. 3 is a detail showing in plan one of the guiding leven@ for the rear Wheels; Fig. 4 is fragmentary side elevation of one of the Wheels :incl the frame in which the same is inountecl: Fig". 5 is a. fragmentary front elevation or the machine, certain parts 'i5-Ling broken awa; Fig. 6 is a section on the. lin@ 6 6 of Fig. 5, looking in the direcv tion of the arrow and Showing part of the iechanini of the fifth wheel; and Fig. 7 is i sectinn on the lineV T-7 of Fig if, showing thi"- n'iechnnisni of the ilth Wheel.

The tractor frame'is shown at 8 and has genornllythe forni of an elongated rectan gie. This frame Cwries a massive Hoor and is i'novided with a Cross har l0, extending laterally from the. slides of the frame., The front whvnls; shown at 1l and the .front l@ l2. The engine is shown :it 13 .zuid resi-f5 upon the iioor 9. The engine shaft 14; Carries :i sprocknt wheel l? and engaging the latter i Sprocket chain 16, which engages another sprocket Wheel l?, the lat 'ier being? mount-od rigidly 'upon a. revoluble shaft- 18. This shaft is Supportfl in bearings l5), 20. ilonmeii upon the shaft i8 is .i friction pulley and connected with this friction pulley is a collar 'forming practically n. huh- The friction pulley 21 with its collar 2Q are sliclnnly mounted upon the. Shaft 18 anfl extending through them is :i spline ca Tried by the shaft. A friction disk engages the friction pulley 2l and is driveinby it. As the pulley'l is shifted along the shaft 15S. by aid of 'the collar 22, the point of Contact between the frictinn pulley 2l and the 'friction disk 9.4 is changed so that the shaft 1S lining driven at n given rate of speedT th f speed oit1 the i it the will of the o.

LAion disk if-l is mounted rigidly foluble Shaft iii, the latter being hearings-s 93 carrie by the frame- :A *A iy 'wheel is mounted rigidly up the shalt 2&3. This shaft carries a anti also a cnllnr. which engages i s'plinn and is movable along the shaft 2LP, in the direction of the axis thereof. Connected withtnacollaris aclutcn memnieinber ch is 'id iting the clutch meer bei' ngagenient with the .gh shaft if-'l m be ttit of action. Mounted riv 1 ait 24F is s e'irociict vflnaei f3 the letter is. e sprocket ec-liet chain. "i engage, This strocliet 'a'l'ieel i,

upon a revoluble shaft 3i in becrirw our?" bv wo spree the e gta?, u. by tiwse Lhaius en two sprocket utter `ieing mounted ne tractor are shown 352, 'theI wheel being iocated within a trame 44C and th wheel 43 being similarly di posed, within a frame 45. 'Fliese two frames :are mounted upon pins 46, the latter being carried by brackets 49, each bracket beingprovided for this purpose with a pair ci ears 57. e8, through which the pins 46 extend. The brackets 4.9 are held in position by bolts 50 and the frames 44, are adapt ed "o upon the uns pivots.

in* .Y r 'u upon the rear portion of the door bracket 5l, having the general form o? ned-estoi, as may be understood Fig. if and extending upwardly from voor. i". 1poseii upon the underside ot the door end est rloeniva' y from Wise v elects ere secured in position by bolts 53.

l i niet tra the forro of a pedestal,

kA-l with the rear ends of the frames n raclets bld, da and extend '1c bracket d'3, is a link; Si terni e red and piv- .ids uitle i ci! the spring' engages the nut 54S. Simi l u spring Si engages at its bottoni, a portion of the bracket 4? and at its top the nut Dl. The springs 50a, 51., by sustaining dounwur'd pressure of 'the guiding le`- and 513, support the weight ot' the `'platform carryino' the engine. The operator by turning the liancl wheel 57 can enable c of the wheeis 42 to be raised to a. higher level than the other, as indicated in Fig. 2, the door 9, however, being maintained at a c' level and the guiding levers 54 and remaining parallel, as may be llxe traine Sis provided with two front plate? 59, @Suoi the form, shown more par# tculerly in Fig. 5. A metallic disk 61 is secured upon the under side of plate 60, by bolts 62. Another disk 63 having .the form shown more particularly in Fig. 6 is pro vided with anti-triction rollers 68 which engage the disk 61. The parts thus described together constitute the fifth Wheel of the tractor. The disk 63 is mounted upon springs 64 of the type known in this art as carriage springs, the latter being supported by the linlrs 65 for this purpose, Owing to the resilienee of the springs (it, the front axle has a seth 'ent angular play relatively to the top of the tractor to enable the frontl wheels il to assume tliiierent levels without disturbing; the other parts.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts assembled and arranged as described and engine 13 being started into action, the operator judges by the inclina@ tion or" the land to be plowed, the extent to which one of the rear wheels must be elevated relatively to the other, while the mw chine is passing alongstty on a hillside and turns the wheel '5T until tho floor 9, under the conditions just indicated, is level. The engine 13 now occupies its normal position. The clutch member 29 being thrown into engagement with the clutch member 30 and the 1friction pulley 21 being adjusted relatively to the friction disk 24, the tractor l at the 'required speed i fig, the machine is brought to 0j .stretch of land, Where the inclinaM rs from ti et of the piece inst 'iter by turning the hand .to the relative elevation el?, so that the floor r wheels fi maintained level. will be noted that owing to the action of the springs 50a, 51a, the rear portion of the tractor body is springsupported, and yet the vertical planes through the two Wheels 4Q., eiways remain parallel. The d e5, being mounted to swing 1,13; ,eee

smiy in order to meint-ein the flour Si level Linder practically :my conditions where the tractor can run. at' all.

l do not limit myself to the precieze rangement shown, as variations may lie mede leerein without departing from the spirit oi' my invention.

Having thus described my invention, l omini new' and desire to secure. by Lettere .la teni :W-

1, In :i tractor, the combination of a main frame Serving as n vehicle body, independent 'f emes pivotzilly mounted upon said main i 'ile wheels jonrni' Within mid vfe, :md e lever meelinnnin connected t he free ends of the. frames and com trlluble n?. the will of the operator for Si; mutaneously adjnstin said vehicle Wheel@ to relatively different levels.

ln a tractor.v the combination of a frame provided with e eross having greater length than the general width of the iframe and exiending therefrom, lnneliete mounted vil'.

ng-pon the extending portions of :mid eros-s lieu', pivot pms Carried lily Seid brackets,

iremee mounted to Swing upon said pivot pins, said iranien extending rearwardly from Seid cross bar, wheels iournaled Within eind frames for the purpose of engaging tile ground, genring for .turning seid wheels-:g sind mechanism connected with said iranien for maintaining said wheels parallel.

2l. ln n tractor, the combination of l; *f une provided with ii erose bnr .having a, length greater than the Width of said frame, il pair oi' frames' pivotully mounted upon the tending portions of seid cross bar, wheels umirnnled in Said .iranien and adapted to enne the ground, omelie r mounted Upon the 'mr ende oi' Said frames, guiding levers gournuled upon seid .treme sind extending nio proximity to said brackets, and linke slidulily enriging said brackets sind guided lwrelry, ef n li'il". being efnneetnfgl to all ol wel guiding l. Tn a tractor, the combination of :1 main inline sowing ne n Velin-le body, a pair of frames jonrnziled upon Said main frnnie :md extendingr rezirivardly, guiding members ein# ried by said frames and located adjacent the rear ends thereof, guidin levers journaled upon said mein frame, an adapted to swing relatively thereto, and links ooi/meeting said guiding le Vers in order to maintaintlle same parallel, Seid links also engaging said guiding# members.

i). ln u, tractor, the combination of a, main frame serving as a, vehicle body, a pair of freine-,s pirotelly connected with said main mine and adapted to swing relatively to the same, brackets carried by said frames, linksl exten-fling through said brackets and guided the why, guiding levers connected with said i nld guiding levers being journaled sinon mein freine, and Springs eng-ig ing,r seid guiding levers and said brackets.

6. lin a tructorytlie Combination of a main frame serving as a vehicle body, a pair of frames pivotally mounted upon said main frame and adapted to swing relatively t-o the seme, guiding levers journeled upon said .main frame, connections from said guiding levers to said frernes, and nieclmnisn'i connected with sind guiding levers and with seid main freine. and controllable at the will of the eperntor for shifting said guiding levers to different angles relatively to Said main frame.

7. In a tractor, a main frame, independent and pivotally mounted frames, wheels mounted in the frames, e. centrally pivoted support having yielding connections at its ends with the free ends of the Wheel earry ingl frames, and adjusting ineens between the support and mein frame.

in n tractor, a main frame, wheel carrying frames, each pivoted at one end to the me in freine, a Wheel mounted in each frame, n centrally pivoted support, yielding and nlidirble connectifY` a between the ends of the supportenll the *free ends of tlixe Wheel een rying frenme, and adjusting means between llie support and main freine.

lin Witnwe wlw i if' fl here :finned my nume to tiiif; 'epeeilieutiejni in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

(fl l A HLES TWM. LOFFFLER.

Vitnesses r llmrnn BILLMA n, Gmunden BILLMAN. 

